Battery cell



' Aug 23 1927- F. A. KELLER BATTERY CELL Filed mam 1'?. 1925 2 sheets-slaagt 1 Aug. 23, 1927'.L

` F. A. KELLER Filed March 17, 1925 BATTERY CELL 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

ffy 4- ,3% 4 5f /al/ v ,22 I l emitted Aeg. 23, 19271.

v"UMTED STATES -1,64o,o39 .PATENT oFFICE.

FREDERICK A. KELLER, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR '.lOl BRIGHT STAB'BATTERY COMPANY', A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BATTERY CELL. i

Application mea mma 17, 1925. serial no. 18,102.

The present invention has reference to an improved form of dry or semi dry electric battery. y,

The principal objects of the invention are the provision of a simple, cheap and easily assembled battery of high eiiciency,occupy 'ing- 'a minimum space for a given capacity, the Aprovision of, a novel and inexpensive forniof cathode or positive electrode, a novel seal for batteries and the provision of a cheap and efficient form of depolarizing element for. batteries of the general character described. y

Certain preferred forms of the invention are illustrated in' the accompanyin ings in which Figure '1 is a side e evation of one end of a' complete battery with a. parto one side of the battery casing removed, Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of two of the cells as assembled in a battery,Figure 3 is a plan view-'of av single cell, Figure 4 is 'an interior face view of'one form of the improved cathode or positive electrode, Figures 5 'and 6 are exterior face views of modified forms of cathode, and Figures 7 and 8 aresectional views of further modified forms of cathodes.

My improved battery is composed of flat and -preferably rectangular elements assembled face to face, the negative (usually s zinc) electrode of each cell or element being in direct face contact with thepositive or `cathode of the next4 cell, whereby the 'internal resistance is reduced to a' minimum.

I n Figure 2, the flat negative (zinc) electrode is shown at 10. Next to this and placed dat against it is a bibulous layer 11 usually of cardboard, which is impregnated'with an excitant in the usual manner.l ',The thick 40 layer of depolarizing next, and against t e opposite surface of this layer is placed thefcathodehereinafter described.

The lower end of each bibulous layer 11 46 is preferably turned under the lower edge of the depolarizin'g layer, as shown at 11.

This portion 11l serves as a support to prevent the dro pingo'of any portion of the 'down to the terminal electrodes and -conriable depoA arizer.

preferably used in my improved cell is comosed of a dat la. er (or layers) of cardoard or the like, tl rough which extends one or more bodies of a suitable cathodey material such as'carbon or a carbon compound.

active use of the cell may have an outlet, I draw-- mixture y12 is placed The novel cathode or positive electrode, v

lIn the form shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the cathode .is formed of two juxtaposed flat sheets of paraiiined or otherwise, waterproofed .cardboard or the like insulating and non-bibulous material, shown at 13 and 14, through whichvpasses a tightly fitting mass `of cathode material 15, adapted to come into direct contact on they one hand with the adjacent layer of depola-rizing mixture 12 and on the other hand with the negative elect-rode or zinc of the next cell. This is clearly shown in Figure 2. v

In order that the gases evolved during prefer to provide a vent opening. This pref- .erably takes theform of a channel 16 cutv into the face of the cardboard above the cathode material 15. Where two layers of cardboard areused, as shown, one of these maybe entirely cut through to form this channel. Of course this method of forming the` vent channelis'notessential, but it is found convenient for ease andl economy of manufacture.

At the top of each cell a space is left above the depolarizer which is shorter than the other layers, and this space is occupied by sand or other small particles of inert material shown at 17. The ases escaping through the vent' l16 are a lowed to accumulate within the spaces between the par- At'icles 17. v In assembling the battery vasa whole, sealing material is poured in and allowed to harden over the cells, as shown at 18 in Figure 1. While an well known sealing material may be u in this connection, I prefer to'use melted sulphur. This material is very fluid when melted, and readily flows into the smallest cavities, thus making it possible to use cells of maximum size lin a given battery.

At the bottom of the cells I employ a la er of soft pitch 50, or similar material l wliich prevents any possibility of short circuits. Connections are made at suitable `points as desired by means of wires 19,- carried vto which the wire 19 is soldered. This plate is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 at 21,' Y11i anv .polarizing mixture is comes,

tual extenslon of the carbon inset, and- In Figure 5 is shown a modified form of built up cathode', in which a circular carbon inset 22 is used. lThis may be a slice cut across the usual cylindrical carbons now commonly used in. round cells, or may be otherwise produced.' f

As shown in Figure vv6 a plurality of these roundinsets 22 maybe used. Any number and 'shape of these insets may be used without departing from my invention. Inasmuch as the'conductivity of the derelatively low, it is desirable in some cases to extend the effective surface of contact 'of the cathode therewith.

In Figure 7 is shown in section a modified.

form of my cathode inl which a layer of graphite paint or equivalent conductive material 23 is spread over one face of the board 13 and carbon inset 14, so as to adhere thereto. The layer thus produced befor purposes of conductivity, a virgreatly reduces the electrical resist-ance on `the plane of contact of the cathode with the depolarizing layer.

' In Figure 8 is shown a further modification of my invention in which the conductive layer 2li-(preferably graphite paint) is applied to the other side of the composite cathode, both sides being so rovided.

'It is clear that many changes' may be made in the construction and arrangement of my cells and batteries without departing from my invention, which is not limited to the details herein shown and described.

1. A composite electrode-for dry battery tion With a conductive and adhesive layer 1 extending over the supporting sheet and .the active inset.

4. Apparatus as 1n claim 1 wherein the inset is made of carbanaceous material in combination with a. conducting layer of graphite paint on one side ofthe sheet.

5. An electrode -inset is made of carbonaceous material and .the conducting layer is applied to both sides of the sheet.

6. In a battery cell, a composite electrode comprising a supporting sheet and an inset of active electrode passing through the same, a conducting layer in contact w1th one face of said composite electrode. and a depolarizin layer on' the :other side of said conductlng layer.

7. An electrode for dry battery cells comprising two perforated insulating sheets placed face to face in contact, one of said sheets being partly cut away to provide a gas vent, anda thin disc of active material fitting the perforation in' said sheets and passing through both of them.

In testimony whereof I havehereto'v ailixed my signature.

FREDERICK A. KELLER.

asin claim 1 wherein the 

